Council says “slap in the face” from BOS

Members of the Mammoth Town Council said it felt like a “slap in the face” when the Mono Supervisors declined to directly contribute to Fourth of July events at Crowley Lake.

Councilman John Eastman pointed to the letter that came from Mono County Administrator Jim Leddy that said the Supervisors were willing to consider the request from the Town for $5,000 in cash to help fund the Fourth of July. But, he said they were actually willing to consider that the Town could apply for a grant through the County to get the money. Councilwoman Jo Bacon said the application date had passed. Town Manager Dan Holler said the grant would have put the Town in competition with County agencies that would have been hard to beat. Holler said the idea was “not viable.”

Councilman Eastman said, “Maybe I’m missing something. I can’t understand why the Fourth of July at Crowley would not be looked at by the Board of Supervisors, especially those who represent Mammoth Lakes,” said Eastman, “and not fall all over themselves to fund a menial distribution for a County function.” Eastman said the Board members were “playing a game and creating reasons for not funding this.” He said voters in Mammoth Lakes and Crowley should be upset.

Mayor Rick Wood and Mayor Pro Tem Bacon agreed. Eastman turned to an old joke about getting elected. He said, “There’s been a saying for many years that Mammoth Lakes elects Board members and at the first meeting a lobotomy is performed in Bridgeport. From then on,” he said, “it’s difficult for them to represent the community of Mammoth Lakes.” Mayor Wood chimed in, “I couldn’t have said it better.” Councilman Matthew Lehman said the Town did not apply for the County grant, as he saw it, on principle. Said Lehman, “The Fourth of July is something that financially benefits all of us.”

Lehman had earlier reported that community efforts had galvanized private donations toward the ultimate goal of $28,000 for fireworks and pops in the park. He said the event will work with private money and a little Town funding. Lehman added that with the dismal winter right now, a focus on summer would help the area “re-cap our losses.”

As for the political discord, Mayor Wood added that there is an election June 3rd and Mammoth Supervisors’ seats are up for election. Said Wood, “Voters can and do make a difference.”

About Benett Kessler

Always interested in writing, Benett was the editor of her high school paper, proceeded to the University of Chicago and then out West where she and John Heston formed Eastern Sierra News Service in Inyo County. They fed film to KNXT in Los Angeles and co-wrote and produced the first daily radio news in the Eastern Sierra. Their work ranged from a published news magazine to the first television newscast. They continued to provide videotaped news to KABC and other news outlets. After a seat on the Mammoth Times board and work as newswriter, Benett formed her own company, Sierra Broadcasters and launched an FM radio station, now KSRW and a broadcast television station, KSRW-TV33. The latest addition - Sierrawave.net. Her company motto: Comfort the afflicted, and afflict the comfortable.

Eighty-five people control the same amount of wealth as half the world’s population. That is 85 people compared with 3.5 billion.A new report from Oxfam has been published in time for the World Economic Forum in Davos this week.

It shows the world’s ultra-wealthy have not only recovered from the global financial crisis, they have positively blossomed.

The report shows the wealth of the 1 per cent richest people in the world is worth about $US110 trillion, 65 times the total wealth of the bottom half of the world’s population.

It also shows the world’s richest 85 people control about $US1.7 trillion in wealth, equivalent to the bottom half of the world’s population.

How much is Mono County’s annual pension pay out exactly? Where does that money come from? Who do you think you are saving from what? Explain how pensions destroy our economy.

You’ve found a nice little imaginary demon to confront whenever you think you need to win a fight and prove yourself a visionary. I don’t think you really know what you are talking about because you are only echoing the spin masters employed by big money.

The 4th of July is all about the independence from government, isn’t it? So rather than funding explosives to fizzle frivolously in the sky I think the time has come to free ourselves from government again, time for a new Independence Day. the time has come to unincorporate the town of Mammoth Lakes. Let the revolution begin! =

Sorry to burst your bubble, but no. It was about founding a nation independent of Great Britain and about founding a government that was elected and thus derived it’s authority from the very people it governed. It was never about the absence of government.

Jim Leddy at the meeting this morning, made it quite clear the officials from the Town of Mammoth Lakes were notified long ago as to how to request monies for this event (as always) – and ignored the correspondence. And like clockwork, the usual inept suspects are now whining like babies that THEY were ignored. Such childishness! Such lies! Throw all the bums out!

Local Yokel, I was thinking the same thing. What are they crying about? They had a deadline, missed it, then are complaining because they didn’t get the money they felt they deserved – without going through the process? John Eastman, it’s the right decision not to run again.

On the flip side – the fireworks show brings thousand of people, and their dollars, to Mono County. Just because you don’t live in Mammoth doesn’t mean you don’t benefit from those tourists’ dollars.

It is rumored that long-timer local politician John Eastman has a huge photo of Ronald Reagan behind his desk. Perhaps Eastman should take a cue from another conservative Glenn Beck, who recently apologized on conservative-operated Fox TV for “Helping tear the country apart.”
We can’t allow any useless, pointless Town of Mammoth vs. Mono County games today, people. It does not promote harmony. Eastman, like Beck should offer an apology for his Glenn Beck-like polarizing and childish antics, admit the Town of Mammoth group of councilmen failed to follow a simple process, and/or resign immediately.

Thank You Mono County Supervisors, the county does not revolve around Mammoth Lakes. I am a homeowner in Mono County, there are more important issues for the county residents than to piss away money on fireworks. Waaaaaaa!!! Mammoth Lakes fund your own unnecessary crap.

Since the ugly $30 million judgment against the Town of Mammoth Lakes for breach of a development agreement took place in Mammoth Lakes (with Eastman right in the middle of the fiasco), perhaps Eastman should be the one to be slapped in the face for once again ignoring the rules set forth and choosing to play BS political games instead.